Raimund schuster



(No Model.)

R. SGHUSTER. STRING ADJUSTER PGR GUITARS.

No. 577,627. Patented Peb. 23, 1897.

Witnesses'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIMUND -SGHUSTER, OF MARKNEUKIRCHEN, GERMANY.

STRING-ADJUSTER FOR GUITARS.

SPECFICATION `forming part of Letters "Eatent No. 577,627, datedFebruary 23, 1897.

Application filed October 3l, 1896. Serial No. 610,719. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t 'nt/m concer/zh:

Be it known that l, RAIMUND SciiUsTEE, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at lllarkneukirchen, in the Kingdom of Saxony,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inString-Adjusters called Accord-Revolvers for Guitars and Similar StringInstruments to Adjust the Length ofthe Strings for Different Accords;and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the present invention is an instrument which can easily beapplied to a guitar or a similar string instrument, so as to shorten thestrings more or less in order io have the instrument tuned in anotherkey.

This string-adjuster greatly facilitates the playing of the guitar, andits application is a very important innovation in learning to play, forit is only necessary to practice the three easiest touches, producingthe E A D accords, and the player-is immediately ready to play all otheraccords on the guitar. These touches are played without the use ol" thethumb of the left hand.

The adjuster is so arranged that during the playing it can be displacedimmediately on the guitar, pressing down all the strings on theinstrument simultaneously and quickly, so that the touches oi thelingers produce the accords in another key.

The improved strii'ig-adjuster is shown in the accompanying drawing in aperspective view, the ditlerent parts being marked by letters, to whichreference will be had in the following description.

A U shaped metal frame it' is provided with two lateral jaws h, fromwhich two standards a project upwardly, being adapted to receive insuitable bearings a roller c, made of metal, wood, or other suitablematerial, and being covered with a soft substance, such as felt,leather, cloth, dac.

From the lower part of the frame 7ta spoonshaped lever b projectsforward, and to the left-hand-side jaw 7L a ring d is secured by ariveted screw, which is cut open and is of steel or other metal of aresilient nature, so

as to allow the thumb to be placed in and to be seeurelyheld. Thebearings carrying the cylinder c may be of any convenient construction.One standard is simply provided with a point entering a center mark inone end of the cylinder c, while a similar center mark at the other endis supported by the point ot' a screw e, which is screwed into the upperend oi' the standard o.

ln order to use this adjuster on a guitar, the screw e is unscrewed andthe cylinder ois taken out. Then the U -shaped frameis placed around theneck of the guitar, so that the lever b points toward the body of theinstrument. Thereupon the cylinder is brought back in its position bytightening the small screw e, so that the center marks fand g aresupported in the respective pins of the place. The cylinder c will thentouch all the strings on the keyboard. The player inserts now the thumbot his left hand into the ring d and allows the lever b to rest in thepalm of his hand. This enables him to displace the stringadjuster easilyalong the keyboard,and by giving a pressure with his hand on the lever hthe cylinder c is pressed down on the strings at any desired position orupon any of the frets, so that the instrument is instantlytuncdaccording to another key. It is thus sufficient to use only threefingers ot' the left hand to play all accords on the guitar and to playthem all without the use of the thumb of the left hand. The change ofkeys is extremely easy, as the adjuster can be displaced instantlyduring the play. All the difficult touches necessary heretofore are nomore necessary and everybody will be able to learn to play the guitar ina short time and without ein ploying a teacher.

The three easiest touches on the guitar are the E A D accords, which areexecuted in the following manner: E accord: The E bass string is leftopen, one iinger is pressed down on the iii-st fret of the G string,producing G sharp, and the B and E strings are left open. A accord:Leave A string empty, place one -inger on the G string, second fret,producing A,and another iinger on the B string on second fret, produeing C sharp, the E string remaining empty. D accord: Leave D string empty,place one finger on the second fret of the G IOO string, producing,` A,place the second finger on the third fret of the B string, producing D,and the third inger on the second vfret of the E string, producing` Fsharp.

In using` the hand, as above indicated, for the E accord and in shiftingthe adjuster it becomes possible to sound all the accords having theirkeynote on the E bass string', and in placing` the iingers, as aboveindicated, for the A accord all accords can be played, by shifting theadjuster, having their keynote on the A string, and by usingthe positionof the fingers, as indicated by the D accord, all aecords with theirkeynote on the D string,` can be sounded by placing the cylinder calways upon the fret ot' the note, which indicates the keynote of theaccord to be played when by pressure the strings are shortened.

Having thus described my invention, what RAIMUND SCHUSTER.

lVitnesses:

ERNsr BLncnscHnin'r, RICH. CURTH.

